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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · mate · wave · fan · present · face · leaves · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to confront
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rule — a law
  7. mate — a friend
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. present — there
  11. rule — government
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mate — to breed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. present — a gift
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. face — part of the head
  21. present — the time now
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com